A-Z of Cosmetic Ingredients and Terms
Found naturally in some foods such as tea, fish, vegetables and fruit juices, Fluoride's inclusion into toothpaste has been a major public health advance.
Fluoride has been the major factor in reducing the incidence of dental decay and has been used in toothpastes for over 50 years. Further information about the strong evidence for fluoride preventing dental caries (tooth decay) may be found at the UK Government website.
It works in several important ways. Fluoride promotes a chemical reaction in tooth enamel that draws in replacement minerals including calcium. This promotes tooth remineralisation. In addition, fluoride can also incorporate itself into enamel weakened by acid attack, creating an enamel mineral which is more resistant to future acid attacks than regular tooth minerals. Fluoride also reduces the amount of acid that plaque bacteria can produce, which is helpful because an acidic environment promotes demineralisation of tooth enamel.
Studies have not found any evidence that fluoride added to water or dental health products causes harmful side effects.
Getting babies and children into a routine of brushing their teeth twice a day helps build life-long healthy teeth habits. Toothpaste containing fluoride plays a crucial role in preventing tooth decay in young teeth.
If a child ingests too much fluoride during the period of tooth formation, the appearance of tooth enamel may be affected. This is relevant to children under six years old and the NHS recommends to use a small amount – a smear – of toothpaste containing 1.000ppm fluoride for children under 3 and a pea-sized amount for children between 3 and 6 years old. Children aged 6 years or older can use ‘adult’ toothpastes which have a higher concentration of fluoride.
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